JBS Miami - How to Have a Great Summer IntensiveNovember 4, 2013 | mmckeon | More on General
What is the biggest mistake students make when they come to a summer intensive? Joffrey…Artistic Director Jo Matos has some answers, plus advice about how to succeed. And what sets Joffrey Miami apart from other intensives? Hannah Baumgarten says "It is the diversity. It's got a wide variety of students from all over the country, in fact from all over the world. And it's providing a real variety of dance and styles." This video is packed with advice - instructors Diego Salterini and Jack Bloeser also share what it means to be a part of the Joffrey Ballet School's summer intensive. If you've ever wondered what you need to bring to the table or what you'll get, now is your chance to find out.Read More

Dancers Shining in DallasOctober 28, 2013 | mmckeon | More on Ballet
Guess what? Joffrey Ballet School is passionate about Jazz & Contemporary dancers! Come take a…look at the Joffrey Ballet School's Dallas Jazz & Contemporary Summer intensive. These students work hard, but dancing is about so much more than that - Master Instructor Chris Coates says, "I try and pull out their individual technique, their individual personality so that can shine through, so they can focus on what they do as a dancer rather than what someone else does as a dancer." Filmed and directed by Paperlyte Films.Read More

A Day in the Life of Emily FyfeOctober 21, 2013 | mmckeon | More on Ballet
Emily Fyfe is 19, hails from Toronto, and is absolutely determined to be a professional…That means a lot of work - and in this video you'll see her working with a laser focus in classes with Dwight Rhoden, Misty Copeland and more. But there's one thing she doesn't want to forget. "For me, the most important thing is finding that balance between working and dancing. Because if you just work and work, it's not dance, it's not art." Emily is a second year trainee student, and attended the ballet intensive this summer at the Joffrey Ballet School. Video produced and directed by Rishat Valitov and Oleg Lugovskoy Jr.Read More

Dancing Through the FogOctober 14, 2013 | mmckeon | More on General
What does it take to be a part of the ballet summer intensives at Joffrey…Francisco? Joffrey Ballet School's Josie Walsh and Ballet West's Adam Sklute and Allison Debona share their insights about dance, teaching, and what it's like for students as they move toward their ultimate dance goals. See dancers as they take class, rehearse, perform, and reach for the stars. The Joffrey Ballet School, in Adam Sklute's words, "has a special and unique outlook on dance - one that is inclusive of all body types, and one that is inclusive of all styles of ballet and contemporary dance." Take a look, and see what you think.Read More

Joffrey Heats Up LAOctober 7, 2013 | mmckeon | More on General
Take an exclusive look backstage at Joffrey West. This video features interviews with Master Teachers…Alyse, Chehon Wespi-Tschopp, Mia Michaels and John Pennington, as well as performance footage and examples of what you would see and experience in a Joffrey West class. As Alice Alyse points out -"Today's dance dancers have to be well rounded -- ballet and contemporary are mixing more and more." As you'll see, the students and teachers at Joffrey West don't disappoint. Filmed and directed by Paperlyte Films.Read More

Choreography in SessionOctober 1, 2013 | mmckeon | More on General
In this video we swap gears from a view into the dancers journey to the…and process behind the choreographic process. Guillermo Blinker, one of the teachers and choreographers for the 2013 Joffrey Ballet School Jazz & Contemporary Summer Intensive in NYC, met up with director and filmmaker David Perkins to create this captivating mini-documenary film. From Amsterdam, Guillermo feels it is important to acknowledge the individual in his work…and equally important for the dancer to bring daily life into the movement. Guillermo's piece Pay Attention was presented during the Spring Showcase in May.Read More

A Day In The Life of James VessellSeptember 23, 2013 | mmckeon | More on General
Meet James Vessell, a 21 year old dancer from Pontiac, Michigan. This summer, he attended…the Ballet (for seven weeks) & Jazz (for three weeks) intensives on full tuition scholarships. You can take a look into his process of being a part of learning and performing excerpts of Gerald Arpino's Light Rain as well as Middle Ground with choreography by Shawn Hounsell and music by Mathew Adkins. He says about the Summer Intensive, "These past weeks have been very emotional. The Joffrey Ballet School has made me stronger as a person. This experience has helped me become better at what I love to do."Read More

A Day In the Life of Camila RodriguesSeptember 16, 2013 | mmckeon | More on General
This week, step into the life of Camila Schäefer D'Ornellas Rodrigues, a luminous 18 year…ballerina from Brazil. Camila attended all seven weeks of the Joffrey Ballet School's Ballet Intensive program in NYC this summer, and is starting her first year in the accredited Ballet Trainee Program on September 16th. Bright, friendly, and passionate, she tries to find the way to articulate exactly how she feels about dance, saying, "I love dancing because I feel freedom. No one is in the room and it's just me and the music." Video produced and directed by Rishat Valitov and Oleg Lugovskoy Jr.Read More

Tiaras and TutusSeptember 9, 2013 | mmckeon | More on General
Get ready to have a smile on your face! Watch these adorable little dancers as…explore the world of ballet. Using improvisation, basic movement concepts, and basic principals of classical ballet, they recreate the great story ballets. Tiaras and tutus, magic wands, Nutcrackers, feathered wings and monster masks are plentiful - all constructed by the children to enhance their performances. Hear about the program from Director Jo Matos, and teachers Jennifer Manino and Sabrina Jaafar-Melton. Joffrey Ballet School’s Summer Dance Camps focus on age-appropriate training that builds a strong foundation of creativity and physicality, but these young dancers make the process fun to watch!Read More

A Day In The Life of Giovanna MontoyaSeptember 1, 2013 | mmckeon | More on General
Meet Venezuela native Luisa Giovanna Montoya. The polished ballerina attended all seven weeks of the…Ballet School summer intensive program in NYC. Her 1st time to NYC, she had the opportunity to learn and perform excerpts of Gerald Arpino's Light Rain at the end of her summer program. Giovanna loved her NYC experience from the studios to the instructors and the friends that she made during the summer. Dancing is where she feels the most free, she says that "as soon as I walk into the studio everything fades away…I feel peace; I'm free." Video produced and directed by Rishat Valitov and Oleg Lugovskoy Jr.Read More